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Nissan leases X-Trail fuel cell vehicle to Coca-Cola in California

27 November 2009

Nissan North America is leasing an X-Trail Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) to Sacramento Coca-Cola Bottling in California. The leasing deal, Nissan’s first commercial FCV lease in North America, is for one year, with an option for two additional years.

The zero-emissions X-Trail FCV is being used by the bottler for sales calls and public events in the Sacramento area in promotion of a new soft drink.

The Nissan X-Trail FCV is based on the X-Trail SUV, which is available in Mexico, Japan, and Europe. It is fitted with a compact, Nissan-developed PEM fuel cell stack, a compact lithium-ion battery, and a high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder.

The FCV’s performance is close to that of a similarly sized internal combustion engine-based vehicle. Versions of this generation of X-Trail FCV are capable of speeds in excess of 95 mph (153 km/h), with a cruising range of up to 300 miles (480 km).

Nissan has previously used FCVs in demonstration fleets in Japan and in California through the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) in Sacramento. Nissan X-Trail FCVs based at the CaFCP have already logged nearly 300 000 miles (480 000 km) in ongoing internal tests, with one vehicle very close to the 100 000-mile (160 000 km) mark.

‘Sacramento already has the beginning of a hydrogen infrastructure in place, and Sacramento Coca-Cola has a track record of utilizing low-emissions cars,’ says Eric Noziere, Vice President of Corporate Planning at Nissan North America (NNA).

In addition to the current generation X-Trail FCV, Nissan earlier this year announced testing of a next-generation PEM fuel cell stack that is 25% smaller than the current model, and will be less expensive to build.

NNA recently opened a new Fuel Cell Laboratory at the Nissan Technical Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The new lab will support other global Nissan research centers, and will work with suppliers and universities on various related fuel cell projects.

‘The future of sustainable mobility will depend on the simultaneous development of many technologies,’ observes NNA's Noziere. ‘Test programs like the Sacramento Coca-Cola X-Trail FCV lease help us keep our momentum going in this arena, even as we’re getting ready to roll out the new Nissan LEAF electric vehicle in the next year.’

Nissan’s fuel cell R&D program is part of a range of eco-friendly technologies – including FCVs, electric vehicles, hybrids, and improved internal combustion engines – being pursued under the Nissan Green Program 2010.

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